The present invention relates to a washer, such as a dishwasher or a washing machine, comprising a washing chamber for accommodating goods to be cleaned, said washing chamber having in its lower portion a sump for collecting water during operation of the washer, a water inlet, preferably wherein the water inlet can be connected to a water tank, a circulating pump for circulating water through the washing chamber, and a control unit for controlling a washing cycle carried out by the washer. The present invention further relates to a method for operating such a washer.
There is a constant desire in the art to improve the efficiency of washers, so as to on the one hand improve the operating comfort for the user and on the other hand reduce the amounts of energy and water that are consumed during each washing cycle. Whereas the latter applies to any kind of washer, monitoring and controlling the amount of water is of particular importance when the supply of water available to the washer is limited.
Thus, while the majority of the dishwashers and washing machines which presently are on the market are designed to be permanently connected to a continuously provided water supply, such as in a domestic household to a tap which when opened continuously feeds water, in recent years washers were developed which are supplied with water from a water supply tank, such as a relatively small tank, which is designed to be filled prior to any automatic program cycle carried-out in the washer under the control of a control unit of the washer and which is integrated into the washer or is designed as an external tank to which the washer is connected. Such washers thus are particularly suited for small households, in which only small amounts of articles are to be cleaned, for mobile devices such as motor homes, camper vans, yachts and the like, or households which are not permanently supplied with running water.
While the present invention can be used to any kind of washer, such as dishwashers or washing machines for washing clothes, in the following it will be described in connection with dishwashers.
An example for such a washer is shown in DE 10 2004 057 019 A1 which describes a water supplied domestic appliance, in particular a dishwasher, which is connected to a integrated tank, which is filled with an amount of water as it is required for a washing cycle. The water from the tank is fed to the sump within the washing chamber of the dishwasher either by means of a feed pump which is connected to the water supply system of the dishwasher or is fed to the sump by the action of the hydrostatic pressure prevailing within the tank.